Desktop Background Wallpaper - Change in Windows 7 Starter

How to Change Desktop Background Wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic Editions​

   Information

By default the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions do not include the Personalization features such as change desktop background, Desktop Slideshow, Screen Saver, and Windows Color and Appearance.


This tutorial will show you how to add these features to the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions.

• For free desktop background wallpapers from Microsoft, see: Desktop backgrounds (wallpaper) - Microsoft Windows
• By default, the Windows 7 Home Basic edition will only allow you to change the desktop background by right clicking on a image and clicking on Set as desktop background.
• If you plan on doing a in-place upgrade to another higher level edition of Windows 7 in the future, then be sure to uninstall this Oceanis Change Background W7 or Personalization Panel program first to avoid incompatibility issues with it in the new edition of Windows 7. It was designed to only work in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.

OPTION ONE

Using the "Oceanis Change Background W7" Program

   Note

This will show you how to download and use the program Oceanis Change Background W7 provided by Oceanis so that you can change the desktop background with a optional desktop slideshow (shuffle) in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.


If the Oceanis program is closed, then the desktop background goes with it. You will need to leave the Oceanis program running to keep the background.

• You must be using the Windows 7 Basic theme.
• If the Oceanis Change Background W7 program no longer works properly after installing some Windows Updates, then uninstall and reinstall the Oceanis Change Background W7 program to have it run properly again.
• If you get the black wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter, then:
  • Double check to make sure that the Remove background images (where available) box is unchecked in the Ease of Access Center.
  • Change the Color Scheme to Windows Classic and click on Apply, then change it to Windows Basic and click on OK.
  • If non of the above helped, then also see if this solution by Foe may be a possible fix.
• Run a sfc /scannow command, and restart the computer afterwards. You may have some corrupted system files causing the background wallpaper to not display.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the Oceanis Change Background W7 ZIP file provided by Oceanis, click on Save, and save it to your Desktop.

Download


2. Open the downloaded ZIP file, extract (drag and drop) the exe file below to your desktop, and run it.
NOTE: You will be prompted to restart the computer to finish installing this program.
Oceanis_Change_Background_W7.exe
3. When your computer restarts, you will see this as your desktop background. Click on the Oceanis Change Background W7 shortcut to change your desktop background. (see screenshot below)

4. Browse to the images that you want to use and check (select) a image, or more than one image to have a desktop slideshow. Select the Picture position for how you want the images displayed, and any desktop slideshow settings if you selected more than one image. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: These options are just like the default ones in the other editions of Windows 7 here that are now being allowed by this program by Oceanis for the Windows 7 Starter edition.



5. When done, click on Save changes. (see screenshots above)

OPTION TWO

Using the "Personalization Panel" Program

NOTE: This will show you how to download and use the Personalization Panel program to add Personalization to the desktop context menu to be able to change the desktop background, Windows Color and Appearance, Sounds, and Screen Saver in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions. This program does not add the desktop slideshow feature though.
1. Download and install the Personalization Panel program using Regular setup option at the Download link below.

Download


2. When finished installing, you can now right click on the desktop and click on Personalization.

3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

4. From here you can select and set the Appearance and Personalization options you like. (see screenshot below)

5. Desktop Background
A) In Windows Starter

B) In Windows Home Basic

6. Windows Color
A) In Windows Starter



B) In Windows Home Basic, you will see this below first then the screenshots above.

7. Sounds
A) This is the same Sounds settings as in the other editions of Windows 7.
8. Screen Saver
A) This is the same Screen Saver settings as in the other editions of Windows 7.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Windows 7 Desktop Background
• How to Create a Desktop Slideshow in Windows 7
• How to Enable Aero in Unsupported Editions of Windows 7
• How to Remove Background Images to have Only Solid Colors in Windows 7
• How to Change the Window Color and Appearance in Windows 7
• How to Change the Screen Saver in Windows 7
• How to Change or Save a Windows 7 Theme
• How to Create a Windows 7 Personalization Shortcut

 

[Brink]

It appears that SAS doesn't like it launching before the shell at logon, and is just flagging the registry entry for this as a false positive since it is something that virus could use.

 

[MaddyMay]

It appears that SAS doesn't like it launching before the shell at logon, and is just flagging the registry entry for this as a false positive since it is something that virus could use.

I can certainly understand that. I don't know if SAS will be able to ignore just the WallpaperAgent.exe entry there but flag another one appropriately if malware happened to place it there. I'll wait and see what they come up with.

 

[justjoshuaaa]

If anyone's having problems with this and your wallpaper comes up just blank or black go to control panel and search "reset", reset factory settings and it'll work after you do. That's what I did and it worked after I did.

 

[MacGyverDB]

Just what the Doctor Ordered

Very well done whomever wrote it. Nice small package and it's not hogging what little memory this netbook has.
Has been driving me nuts to keep looking at a blue screen that wouldn't change.

Unless I would monkey with the registry and turn it all black.

Thanks!

 

[adanepst]

Oceanis - screen has become smaller!

Hello,
I installed Oceanis on my Acer Aspire One laptop with Windows 7 Starter Edition, in order to be able to change desktop wallpaper.
After installing, I received a message from Avira saying it blocked a change to the registry.
I changed the Avira settings to enable changes to the registry.
I restarted, opened Oceanis, and was able to select wallpaper images.
The problem is: the size of my (already tiny) screen became smaller! There is about an inch and a half on each side of the screen that is now entirely black.
I uninstalled Oceanis completely, but the problem has remained!
For me the priority is now to restore my screen to its original size. How can I do this?
Thanks in advance for your help,
adanepst

 

[Brink]

Hello Adanepst, and welcome to Seven Forums.

See if changing your screen resolution to another size and back to recommended may help.

If not, then you could also do a system restore using a restore point dated before this happened to undo it.

 

[adanepst]

Oceanis - screen has become smaller!

Thanks for your reply! I changed the screen resolution settings and the problem is fixed.
However, when I restart the computer, it tells me it is unable to load an oceanis file in the oceanis folder - presumable because I uninstalled the program, but apparently not all of it, since this dialog box comes up after starting the computer. The computer is brand new and I just installed everything on it today, so doing a system restore would not be particularly practical, since I would be undoing the 4-5 hours of installing work. Is there any way I can get rid of this message upon startup?
Thanks again for your help and all best greetings!
adanepst

 

[Brink]

That's ok. Check your startup programs to see if Oceanis is listed. If so, delete it, and see if that sorts it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html

 

[GoingNutz]

User Account or NOT

Ya, I'm using the USER ACCOUNT, no love here.
I've read through many tut's and non of them deal with a user account, only a ADMIN ACCOUNT.

Anyone got a fix for the USER Account?!

 

[Brink]

Ya, I'm using the USER ACCOUNT, no love here.
I've read through many tut's and non of them deal with a user account, only a ADMIN ACCOUNT.

Anyone got a fix for the USER Account?!

Hello Penny,

What did you need fixing?

 

[GoingNutz]

Change the USER account screen

The software only works on the Admin account not the USER account, and the USER account is the one I use all the time.
Other than that 1 shortcoming, the program works fine, if you want to be one the internet with the Admin account.